At a time when Dalit agitations have become the mainstay of Indian politics, a little-known TV channel, which prides itself on being dedicated to the life and teachings of Lord Buddha and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, has quietly grown its viewership to 2.5 crore over the last eight years.

Headquartered in Nagpur, Lord Buddha TV was launched in 2010 by Bhaiyyaji Khairkar, Raju Moon and Sachin Moon, who are part of the Ambedkarite movement, with the stated purpose of setting right the skewed representation of issues faced by Scheduled Castes, and presenting a platform to represent Dalit issues that are not adequately covered in mainstream media. Foreshadowing viewership interest, roughly one lakh people attended the inauguration event at Diksha Bhoomi Maidan in Nagpur in November 2010.

Today, the channel is beamed across India and Asia by more than 800 cable operators, including biggies like Tata Sky, Reliance Big, GTPL, and the Den Network.

“The founders thought that if people watch Hindu religious channels, then why not one on Lord Buddha’s teachings?” says Nilesh Farkade, the general manager of the channel, who spoke to Mirror from Nagpur.

“We started with seed money of Rs 1 lakh and when cable operators refused to beam our channel, people chased them down and insisted they install set-top boxes with the channel.”

According to Farkade, the first month’s rent for their premises was paid for by an NRI Ambedkarite. Today, the channel beams programmes based on the teachings of Lord Buddha, Buddhist culture, the life and mission of Dr Ambedkar, and the struggles and achievements of the SC community. It also highlights progressive ideas of the Ambedkarite movement.

Vinod Kumar Taksande, who represents Lord Buddha TV in Gujarat, says the channel is a counter-weight to mainstream media. “The mainstream media ignores majority of lower castes in the country. Our channel not only promotes Buddhism but also provides a platform for all things progressive and anti-caste. The channel’s content which reflects the Ambedkarite movement shows a programming mix of religion (morning shows), infotainment quizzes on the Constitution and news shows.”

Taksande adds that in addition to spreading Buddhist ideals, the channel also works on eradication of superstitions and women’s empowerment. “You will rarely find advertisements that promote superstitions or are disrespectful to women,” he says.

Staffers of the channel include cleaners, and those who have been trained to do technical jobs, such as wielding a camera. Most of the channel staffers are Dalits but only a few of the 250-odd staff are paid; the majority works pro bono for the cause of the Ambedkarite movement.

Farkade says the channel is not meant to be a commercial enterprise and is yet to break even. “Our channel is not just religious but also social, as we cover important issues in the community. Recently, we started getting commercials, which helps us earn some revenue, but we have retained our non-commercial identity.”

While there is no doubt that Dalit issues are under-represented in the wider media discourse, Dalit activists and entrepreneurs believe that Lord Buddha TV should expand beyond their own community.

“I personally believe that the channel should not restrict itself to Dalit discourse as Lord Buddha always propagated a classless and casteless society,” says Dalit activist and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani. “Its programmes should not be confined to one community.”

Padma Shri awardee and Dalit entrepreneur Milind Kamble, who is also the Founder-Chairman of Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI), agrees with Melvani. “While such a channel is needed to focus on issues pertaining to the SC community, I feel that going forward it needs to look at society from a larger perspective,” he says. “Normally, only Buddhists or Ambedkarites would watch such a channel, but going ahead it should expand beyond a certain segment.”